STOCKTON - Five years ago, Tony Troncale received approval to start the Delta College women's golf team.

In that time, the Mustangs have slowly improved each year. At 9 a.m. today, Delta will play in its first California Community College Athletic Association State Championship Tournament. The group of Layney Silva, Laura Arellano, Torri Torrez, Erin Whitcomb, Vianca Soto and Mia Torres compete through Tuesday at Temecula Creek Inn Golf Course in Temecula.

In Delta's first year, it opened the season with a fourth place finish in Big 8 Conference No. 1 match. It would not finish above fifth the rest of the season. Michelle Nelson was the teams' lone qualifier for the regional championships and finished 18th.

"I've hoped that it would happen that we would come this far," Troncale said. "But it's been tough. Once we got Layney, I figured we'd have a chance."

Silva is a Delta freshman from St. Mary's who earned Big 8 Conference MVP after leading her team to a second-place finish, an all-time best. She also won the Northern California Regional Championship with a 140 (67, 73) at Bing Maloney Golf Course in Sacramento. Delta took second at regionals as well.

Silva will take an official visit later this month to the University of Delaware and plans to transfer possibly in January.

"So far Delaware and Long Island (University) have offered me," Silva said. "I'm still kind of waiting to see how I finish up. I'm in a pretty good position."

Delta's No 2 player, Arellano, a freshman from Modesto, isn't far off. She was the medalist in Delta's final home match at Swenson Park Oct. 25 with a 78.

Delta hadn't won a conference match until this year when it captured Big 8 Conference No. 4 at Bidwell Park in Oroville. It was the first time Delta had beat eventual league champions Sacramento City. The Mustangs would win four more tournaments.

"That first time we beat Sacramento was huge for us mentally," Troncale said.

"Once the girls realized they could beat them, they kept beating them."